I am absolutely not making this incident up; in fact I have it all on
videotape. The tape is from a local TV news show in Oregon, which sent a
reporter out to cover the removal of a 45-foot, eight-ton dead whale that
washed up on the beach. The responsibility for getting rid of the
carcass was placed on the Oregon State Highway Division, apparently on
the theory that highways and whales are very similar in the sense of being large
objects.

So anyway, the highway engineers hit upon the plan--remember, I am not
making this up--of blowing up the whale with dynamite. The thinking is that the
whale would be blown into small pieces, which would be eaten by seagulls,
and that would be that. A textbook whale removal.

So they moved the spectators back up the beach, put a half-ton of
dynamite next to the whale and set it off. I am probably not guilty of
understatement when I say that what follows, on the videotape, is the most
wonderful event in the history of the universe.

First you see the whale carcass disappear in a huge blast of smoke and flame.
Then you hear the happy spectators shouting "Yayy!" and "Whee!" Then,
suddenly, the crowd's tone changes. You hear a new sound
like "splud." You hear a woman's voice shouting "Here come pieces
of...MY GOD!" Something smears the camera lens.

Later, the reporter explains: "The humor of the entire situation
suddenly gave way to a run for survival as huge chunks of whale blubber fell
everywhere." One piece caved in the roof of a car parked more than a quarter
of a mile away. Remaining on the beach were several rotting whale
sectors the size of condominium units. There was no sign of the seagulls
who had no doubt permanently relocated to Brazil.

This is a very sobering videotape. Here at the institute we watch it
often, especially at parties. But this is no time for gaiety. This is a time to
get hold of the folks at the Oregon State Highway Division and ask them,
when they get done cleaning up the beaches, to give us an estimate on the
US Capitol.

You remember that ancient Bond flick, don't you? I believe it was Dr.
No... where the villian (Dr. No I assume) keeps saying to the captive
Bond "most excellent, Mr Bond", in this hideously phoney accent from
some yet to be discovered middle-eastern country. Well, it has become my
habit to say "most eggsalad" as a mimicry, if you will, a parody af
that particular flick I only vaguely recall.

So, most eggsalad answer, Mr. Bob. Thank you so very much. By the way,
have you recieved those snapshots yet? Huh, have you huh?
Keep those cards and letters, and pictures, and jpeg's and .gifs and Web Pages Comin !!!

PEACE -
MFG

SoCoOL received EMail today from the foreman in the O.J. Simpson Trial. This is the text of that EMail.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to respond to the Bill Gates
Column and have the heart to be concerned for Denise C.
As we had assumed Bill Gates knew nothing about Denise or "WISHING ON THE
LONE STAR". One of his co-workers read his column last week and contacted
me immediately. This past Tuesday I was delivered a wonderful book to give
to Denise from Bill which he had written her words of encouragement and
autographed it to her.

Internet America is going to give her the Internet free and even up-grade
her computer at no expense. We are waiting for her to feel better so they
can do this. If you want to e-mail her I will get her e-mail address as soon
as I can.

We just granted our 6th WISH and are working on 5 more. WISHING has done
all of this in only 17 weeks. We are very unique in the faact that we are
the only organization in the USA who helps people over 17 to fulfill their
WISHES.

If you would like to get a "newsletter" from us please e-mail me your
address or p.o. box number.
Again thanks for making another WISH come true.

Thanks Linda ... once again ... for your response to SoCoOL ... and for the
VERY GOOD NEWS.
Now lets see if that act, and these acts don't lead to a lot of good
feelings ... on everyone's part.
I am very, very, happy to receive and publish this very good news.
In fact, I guess this particular good news has got to receive "The Awesome
EMail Award !!!"

I was wondering if it was at all possible to get a copy of the Willie Lynch document, speech or what ever it is. I can't seem to find a copy. I'd like to circulate it on our campus.

Thank you!!!

SoCoOL Bob

Thank you for your response to SoCoOL ... Sonoma County ONLINE
My apologies for my own ignorance ... but ... which is the "Willie Lynch Document" to which you refer ....
I confess we have so many pages ... and so many conversations going on at one time ... that without a little more detail ... I am not sure to which you refer ????

The "Willie Lynch" document is the document Louis Farrakhan referred to in the speech he gave at "The Million Man March". It was in reference to a slave master selling a "guaranteed" method to remedy the slave rebellion and to keep us as a people enslaved. I found it once on the internet however, the computer system at our school does not print from the "net", so I was wondering if you might have a copy of the speech of document or whatever it is.

Thank you

Willyetta

SoCoOL Bob

Yes indeed ... this document is located on the WWW in at least two places .... in one place it includes an additional document entitled "Let's Make A Slave."

I confess I find both of these documents ... offensive ... especially the second one ... but ... So What Else Is New ???

If you are unable to find someone locally to print it out for you ... let me know ... along with your "Snail Mail Address" and we'll send it to you .... assuming that you are honest enough to share with us your reason for wanting the document ... and can assure us that it is not the kind of thing that is designed to be used "against" any of the "more wonderful" human beings ... of any color ... not spoken about in this document ????

I wanted to use the "Willy Lynch" document as part of a workshop on violence. I use all sorts of documents in my undergraduate research project on teaching analytical reasoning to our youth.....of all colors. I am so sorry that you find the article offensive but unfortunately our youth are uneducated. It is article such as these that cause unnecessary problems. However, the slave mentality excuse HAS TO GO!!!!!!!! So I am trying to be a responsible member of my community and teach youths about leaders like Louis Farrakhan and why he can say what it is he has to say, and why he can say it.

I hope that you understand that I am using the document for educational purposes only. Mainly for myself. However, I will use the knowledge to tell the tales I need to teach our youth how "to act and not react" to situations that confront them in daily life.

All as an effort to prevent the senseless deaths of young Black men and women today. It probably can prevent a repeat of Rodney King incidents, OJ situations, etc.

Willyetta

SoCoOL Bob

I am sorry too that I find the document so offensive !!! In fact, I will choose not to read it again .... because .... personally .... I don't want to become any more of an "expert" than I am ... at man and woman's "inhumanity" to each other. Philosophically speaking .... and "practically" for some .... the question is .... will we become better at the "solution" to our problems .... by becoming more intimate with the problem .... or will we become better at solving our problems .... by developing and becoming more intimate with the solutions.

When you say our youth are "uneducated" .... I wonder what you mean? Do you mean that they are unaware that a significant percentage of whites have in the past, and continue in the present, to treat blacks as something other than "equals" ... as "friends" ... as "partners in humanity." Do you mean that they are unaware that men and women seem incredibly unable to get along .... that the rich have a different perspective than the poor? If what we lack is LOVE than should we be teaching LOVE ... or should we continue to examine ... so that what fills our minds and emotions is a more intimate knowledge of HATRED?

I AGREE with THAT !!!! That the slave mentality excuse has got to go. Excuses of all kinds are going to have to find a way to take a back seat to SOLUTIONS.

In what way can we strengthen our hearts to LOVE our fellow man? In what way can we gain more personal power to provide for ourselves and our families, without inflicting our good as someone elses bad? In what way can we construct a society that encourages POSITIVE BEHAVIOR ... on the part of as many of us as possible .... while maintaining a WARM and FRIENDLY attitude to those who cannot?

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND YOUR continuing to do so be a responsible member of the community and continuing to participate in the education of your students. We need to create a PLACE where what ANYBODY and EVERYBODY HAS TO SAY .... becomes important. Only by saying what we have to say .... by hearing the reaction .... by continuing to formulate in our own minds "The Way" for us ... and for others .... can we ever hope to get better. Personally .... I think our society and our people ... all of them .... continue to find ways to "BULL SHIT" each other .... precisely because we have not found a way that will work for everybody. Perhaps, we never will. All we have to do is listen to what people say .... to know that we are ALL primarily concerned about our own PROBLEMS ... and very few of us have come to a place where we a) care deeply about how we're all doing ... and b) can do anything about it.

NOW ... I SIMPLY MUST KNOW .... What does the document teach? What does it mean ... "educational?"
When you say ... mainly for yourself .... what has it "taught" you? How should they react? not react?
What should they do?

What actions will the youth of today take .... to insure that they are not the perpetrators of death and destruction .... that they are "above the fray?" How many examples can we give them of others who have made that committment and taken action to produce an outcome other than each of our own selfish pursuits of our own personal good? What will it take to get more than 10% of them "to buy it?"

Please allow me to share with you the ONLY significant experience I have had ... that has ever given me any hope that there is a way for us all to survive ... and get better. I too attended school in these United States. I was fortunate enough to be "smart" .... so I spent a relatively significant amount of time being "criticized" because this was all too easy for me. I didn't have to do homework ... like some ... in order to pass tests. But ... I was constantly being warned ... it wouldn't always be this way .... eventually it would get harder and I would have to "change my ways."

In college, I had one professor who was so "pissed off" that I could, not just pass the test, but that I would get the highest grade in the class, without evening showing up for his class, that he changed the class. The problem for me was ... I didn't understand what difference it made .... a) if the name of the game was passing tests .... what difference did it make that I could pass it without "struggle." b) what difference did it make if I could pass the test ... if they weren't teaching me how to BE SOMEBODY ???

After 5 years of college ... I found myself slowly growing less and less confident. What was I learning to do ???
to be ??? What job would I get where passing tests was the "ticket?" After graduating .... I attended Law School .... to be something I had wanted to be when I was 6 years old.

To my dismay ... I found the "process" was the same .... buy books, attend class, pass tests .... but nothing about "being" a "lawyer." I was not "becoming" anything .... and indeed .... I was being "criticized" .... even by those closest to me ... for the "good qualities" I still had. IN fact, the one "real life" incident I had ... while attending law school .... essentially had the "professors" saying ... I know that's what the LAW says .... but ... what you don't understand is .... that LAW is not followed on this PLANET. My natural response was .... then WHAT THE HELL I AM DOING .... "learning" the LAW ???

Then .... at the age of 26 .... I began attending a Dale Carnegie Course .... because .... I wanted to "become" a better "salesperson." The first lessons I learned .... that "becoming" anything was a function of doing. That the "test" of life was "becoming" a better person .... by doing the things "better people did." And I did .... I went from being shy in front of groups to being a highly recognized public speaker ... from there to producing and conducting a television show called "Becoming A Better Person." IT was all a function of doing .... and "practicing" in an environment that had one significant difference from any environment that I had ever experienced before .... or since. The people in that environment were slowly learning .... and observing others do .... what they too had seldom experienced before. Praising others for what they did well. Seeing the good .... in even the "worst" behavior .... and reinforcing that good. I know you are angry .... take credit for the "spirit" that allows you to care .... and see if you can convert it to doing something good.

Picture the world ... the way it "ought to be" ... then ask yourself .... what can I do to participate in that "unreality" .... so that maybe it will become more real. Do it .... and then .... and here's the difference ... receive praise for the attempt. Almost any of us who have had experience on this planet KNOWS thats not the way we are. All you have to do is have a LACK .... any LACK .... and most of our fellow human beings FRANKLY do not care. All they want to do is avoid being in that same position. The richer one is .... in our society ... the less likely they are to care and to do anything that is primarily designed to create riches for others. The whiter one is ... in our society ... the less likely they are to care or to do anything that expresses LOVE and appreciation for blacks. The blacker one is ... the less likely they are to have any concern or perform any action designed to appreciate whiteness. Substitute any "ness" for any other "ness." We are all only too good at promoting our own "ness."

How difficult is it ... to teach others to care and do things .... to enrich others .... when we are constantly bombarded with examples of how "unreal" that behavior really is?

Can you imagine a world where you are out of work .... but you know that all you have to do is seek employment ... and you KNOW that you will find a person .... who by the very nature of their KNOWLEDGE ... is a person who is constantly seeking ways for employees to benefit from their employment .... where teachers had only one goal ... and that was to help you do ... whoever you are ... better things than you could do the day before .... where "lovers" cared primarily about the well being of the "loved" .... where children cared primarily about the well being of their parents .... and parents their child .... where the governed were constantly being benefited and improved by the governors?

You are a "dreamer" Bob .... you are indeed a person who see things as they "ought to be" and then asks ... what can I do to conform my own nature and behavior ... to "being" the kind of person that would be happy to participate in that kind of world. And then ... what do I do .... when others do not?

The only lesson that I have learned ... as a result of my experience .... is that I must constantly be on the look out for ways to "legitimately" praise others ... for the good that they do do ... and hope that the process will have the same effect on them ... that it had on me .... The best way for black people to improve their humanity ... would be to develop a genuine appreciation of what white people do do. The best way for white people to truly appreciate their own humanity ... would be to appreciate the magnificance of all races and creeds ... and to seek a world where each appreciated the other. That can be very difficult to do .... when the examples that fill our minds ... are examples of hatred and selfishness and greed and violence and misunderstanding.

If my experience is any teacher .... what we need are more examples of people who love one another. More examples of people who work for one another .... more people who are motivated to care for one another ... more people willing to praise one another.

Perhaps .... becoming better and better at describing the problem .... will lead us to the day when we will become better and better at acting out the solutions.

Thank you again for your courteous and thoughtful response. One of the blessings of writing and publishing SoCoOL .... Sonoma County ONLINE .... is that we are occasionally able to "touch the lives" of someone who cares ... and who is doing their very best to make a difference. It would be all to easy to be dominated by the thoughts, feelings, and actions of those who don't. Every time we get a single piece of EMail like yours .... our strength is renewed ... because we know that someone has taken the trouble to see and to read what we do .... and do something about it. Maybe we cannot "touch everyone." But ... you have "touched us." Your thoughts and desires, communicated so well, have touched ours .... and .... by sharing the nature of the communication we have had .... WE ... will touch at least one other ... and then .... there will only be 6 billion or so more to go.

It is for this reason .... that we will be publishing our correspondence ... thus far .... and Awarding You .... and US ... the "now famous" ... Awesome EMail Award !!!!